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My Book Addiction: Symbols in "The Harvesting"

Friday, June 14, 2013

I had the honor of guest blogging at"My Book Addiction" today. For my guest blog, I discuss many of the symbols embedded in "The Harvesting."

I really love works that are rich in symbolism. In fact, symbol analysis has become a sickness. I can't watch a movie or read a book without waxing philosophical about every color, name, and number in a work. I agonize over the names of my characters and what color they should wear. Sometimes I will sit for fifteen minutes just to decide on a color. It's annoying, really. From the title of the book to the character names to the town name, everything in "The Harvesting" has deeper meaning. Here is just a sample of my post today. Check out Toni's great blog . . . lots of great giveaways going on!

The Curtains are Never Just Blue; Symbols in “The Harvesting”By Melanie Karsak

I like symbols. When I read a book, I noticed what numbers, colors, months, and objects a writer includes. As a writer, I pay attention to symbolic detail. Sometimes my symbols are silly pop culture references, sometimes they clue a reader into the deeper thematic meaning of the series, sometimes they hold special spiritual significance, and occasionally they are personal. No matter what I write, the “things” in my novel are there for a reason.

For my guest blog today, I wanted to talk to you about a few symbols embedded in “The Harvesting.” If you have not yet read the novel, “The Harvesting” is a horror/dark fantasy novel that begins with z-day (the zombie apocalypse). But that’s just the catalyst of this work. Layla Petrovich, my protagonist, soon finds herself in the midst of a battle for our modern middle earth while she also dealing with the human elements of life: love, death, and budding psychic powers? Throw in some supernatural elements, and you have “The Harvesting.”

Even Prince Became a Symbol: Naming Layla Petrovich

Layla was almost named Simone. The name Simone means “to hear or listen.” Layla’s real hang-up is her ability to “see" . . . go toMy Book Addiction to read more!